It all started in Lugansk, Ukraine in 1969. An early starter, Michael Garmash began painting at age three. By six, he started his formal education at the Lugansk Youth Creative Center. Recognizing rare, natural talent, his teachers sent his works to a variety of exhibitions in the then Soviet Union.

An award-winning artist from the onset, Michael received first prizes at several juried exhibitions, including the Lugansk Regional Juried Exhibition (1977), the Czechoslovakian International Youth Competition (1978) and the Hungarian International Art Competition of Circus Related Art (1978).

After graduating valedictorian from the Lugansk State Fine Art College in 1987, he began teaching there. From 1989 to 1991, he served in the army (when he met his wife and partner, Inessa) and in 1992 began studying at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art. Prior to graduating at the top of his prestigious school’s class, he exhibited in several prestigious French galleries.

He later took part in annual exhibitions in St. Petersburg. In addition to painting, he excelled in the creation of stained-glass windows and received an honorary medal for his work in the Suvorov Military Museum in St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Garmash, born Inessa Kitaichik in 1972 Lipetsk, Russia, has excelled in the arts since early childhood. Proving herself in ballet, gymnastics and music, she attended classes in all three disciplines and, after graduating from music and ballet school, entered the Lugansk Fine Art School at age fifteen. At seventeen she was accepted as that year's best undergraduate to the Lugansk State Fine Art School.

After marriage to Michael, her interest in painting intensified and now Inessa and Michael are considered two of the finest Romantic Impressionists of our day.